Flames of Fury
by A Amelia Black
Summary: The tale of the fiery, chakram wielding, master manipulator of Organization XIII starting when he came into existence, through his unlikely friendship with Roxas, and all the chaos that he created. KH1,KH2,CoM. Possible AxelXRoxas
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer:**** All property of Disney and Squaresoft, etc. **

**Spoiler Alert: This story contains spoilers for the Kingdom Hearts games. Nothing too spoilerish until later in the story.**

**A/N: (rubs hands together) Okay so...random idea comes to me one night as I play KH2, figured, why not attempt to write a fic about Axel, who is absolutely my favourite character in the game. I'm a diehard KH fan and I want to do this justice. **

**Now, I beg of you to please go easy on me (smiles) due to the fact that this is my very first KH fan fic ever. ****I'm extremely nervous, doing this, but I wanted to give it a shot and see how it goes****. I will try to keep everything to what we know throughout the games and give you a story that you'll remember.**

**A huge thanks to Crystina, whose help I definitely wouldn't have been able to write this without. **

**I would appreciate your reviews, comments, suggestions, thoughts, fav parts/characters etc. Let me know if you think this is something worth continuing:)**

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**The Beginning**

The bright light stung his eyes and he threw up a hand to help diminish the blinding effects of the sunlight. Well, he assumed it was sunlight, but then again, he didn't even know who he was, let alone _where_ he was.

_Axel._

What was that? Was that his name?

He groaned and pushed himself to a sitting position, squinting in the bright light. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of a train rushing by. Wait…a train? Where _was_ he? He remembered an island but the memory was faint and flickering. Soon that was gone and all he could remember was darkness. Soothing, that's what it was. The darkness was why he was there. Wait…where had that come from? What happened?

Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, he drew himself into a standing position and looked around at his surroundings. The squawking of birds drew his attention to the sky and he looked up at the cloudless blue expanse, watching as seagulls flapped overhead. _The ocean…I must be near the ocean_, he thought and returned to gazing around at the town. He was near the top of a hill and the town spread out around and below him, the red roofs glinting in the midday sun. He could hear the sounds of engines and the train in the distance. Looking out over the rooftops, he saw a glittering, deep blue ocean with dark forms rising out of the water. Islands. They seemed familiar yet he couldn't reason why that would be. He didn't even know what he was doing here.

The sound of a car honking drew him from his thoughts and he jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being run over. He heard the drive yell out something at him and then the car was gone, disappearing around a bend in the road. He sighed, frustrated with his own confusion, and began walking. He didn't know where he was heading but it would be somewhere, and that was better than standing in the middle of the road.

As he neared the more populated area of the town, he noticed the odd looks everyone gave him. He frowned, feeling anger build inside him. _What's their deal? _He hadn't even done anything except nearly get hit by an asshole driver in an ugly car.He paused outside a small convenience shop, looking in the window at his reflection, startled by the unfamiliar figure staring back. He saw a very tall, lanky teenage boy dressed in baggy, black pants and a dark-green, short-sleeved shirt. His spiked hair was a brilliant shade of red, his eyes a deep green and filled with uncertainty. His skin was pale, already tinged pink from the midday sun on his face and the backs of his arms.

As he stood, studying the reflection, a bubble of awareness flickered up through his consciousness. His reflection. These were his eyes, his hands reaching up to touch his hair, to smooth his shirt. With the recognition came a small sense of accomplishment. At least he knew what he was now, if not who.

A small boy dressed in some sort of school uniform stand a few feet away; he became aware of the boy's curious stare on the back of his head. An intense feeling of irritation swept over him, and he whirled to face the child, his cheeks turning hot with his own indignation. People shouldn't stare. He wasn't a freak. He wasn't.

"What're you looking at?" he asked sharply, surprised at the force of his own voice. His voice. This is what he sounded like.

"Nothing," the boy replied. "It's just not every day we see a new face. Lately, there hasn't been much traveling…the routes are just…gone. It's really weird."

"What?" He felt stupid, incapable of understanding even a simple conversation with a little kid. The word fell from his lips, dull and monotone, dropping to the sidewalk like a lead coin.

"Don't you know?" asked the boy, arching an eyebrow. "All the worlds…they're disappearing."

"Worlds just don't disappear," he scoffed, trying to sound knowledgeable and succeeding only in seeming vaguely petulant, even to himself. For all he knew, maybe they did. He'd just woken up in the middle of a road with no memories and no name. How did he know what worlds did in their spare time?

"Well, they did." The boy shrugged, apparently unconcerned if the older kid believed him or not. "There's rumors goin' round about some kid who's supposed to be able to bring the worlds back. But nobody _really _knows."

Silence descended; the boy looked at him, and he became uncomfortably aware it was his turn to continue the conversation. He cleared his throat and tried not to feel awkward. "Where are we?"

The boy looked surprised at this question. "What?"

"I said, where are we? Do I need to repeat myself again?" he snapped, irritated with having to repeat himself, frustrated with his own ignorance.

"Whoa, chill," said the boy, holding up his hands. "This is Marina Town and those," the boy pointed out towards the islands in the distance, "are the Destiny Islands. Ring any bells?"

He shook his head. "Are they supposed to?"

"Did you hit your head on something?"

"I'm beginning to wonder."

The boy glanced at his wristwatch and then looked back at him, seeming agitated, like he had somewhere to be. He wondered where. "What's your name, by the way?" the kid asked. A gaggle of boys ran by, screaming with laughter, and the kid waved at them with an eagerness he found himself envying.

The question made him pause. He wasn't sure about anything, least of all his name. But even as he thought about it, he knew the answer. Just like studying his reflection in the window provoked recognition, the boy's question caused a word begin to surface in his own head, becoming sharper and more familiar as repeated itself in his memory like a mantra. A name. His name.

"Axel. The name's Axel," he said at last.

"I'm Ralfie." The boy jerked his head towards one of the side roads. "I've got to meet up with the gang soon, so I better go. It was good meeting you, Axel." He turned and began to walk away.

Axel stood in silence, watching Ralfie leave, not really knowing what to do and feeling a vague sense of loss as the fledgling companionship ceased. The conversation had allowed him to forget for a moment how he had no purpose, no memory. Lost. He watched the boy run and join the larger group, again feeling that strange jealousy at their zeal, their effortless belonging. He turned, disgusted with his own self-pity, and began to walk. The streets were a maze, unfriendly and unfamiliar, but if one walked long enough, one had to arrive somewhere. He just hoped he knew where that somewhere was when he got there.

He turned a corner into a darkened alley and suddenly found himself on the ground, seeing stars. The world tumbled and tilted at odd angles, the darkness once again threatening to envelop him, like an old friend. At least he had one. From the shadows above, three older boys appeared. They looked to be his age, though one was taller than the rest, and they all carried large, heavy-looking bats. Axel scrambled to his feet as best he could; the motion was watery and his skull ached where he'd been hit, and his pulse pounded in his ears as his temper flared white-hot in the gloom.

"You're in our territory," the taller boy, the one who'd appeared first, replied with a haughty smile. Axel knew instinctively he was the leader, and the one who had hit him.

One of the smaller boys piped up. "Yeah! Johnny says this is our territory!"

"So you knock down a stranger?" Axel sneered at the taller kid, Johnny, his hands balling into fists. They were armed and he was not, but they no longer had the element of surprise, and he could dodge bats well enough. They looked to be the slow, lumbering type, though there were three of them and that in itself was worrying.

"I didn't like the way he looked," scoffed the boy, hefting his bat over his shoulder. The other two chortled.

"If you've got a problem with me, deal with it," spat Axel. He was canvassing the street as they talked, wondering if it was worth fighting, or if he should make a run for it back out of the alley. He was pleased to note he was still a good few inches taller than Johnny.

"Oooh, whatcha gonna do about it?" One of the smaller boys, emboldened by his proximity to his leader, taunted him. He had short, greasy hair the color of old straw, and Axel hated him instantly.

"I think he's gonna cry," snickered the other.

He could feel that darkness inside his chest, that emptiness, and he could sense the way his rage and fear and bitterness slipped effortlessly down to fill the void like a key fitting squarely into a lock. Something inside him clicked. It felt good. "Why don't you leave before someone gets hurt," he said, his voice dangerously quiet.

Johnny laughed, nonplused, and the boys took that as their cue. They began to advance upon him, bats at the ready.

"Whaddaya say, boys? Think we should get a little practice in before the tournament begins?" Johnny's grin was smug, derisive, and threatening. They surrounded him now, and he knew there was no way he could run. Instinctively, Axel reached deep down, took hold of his anger, now hot and rich and violent, and pushed.

"WHOA!" he heard them yell above the sudden scream of white fire shooting up all around him. "What the hell!" They were screaming, scrambling, tearing at their clothes and their hair to try and stop the burning, but Axel barely noticed. For the first time since he'd awoken on the road, he felt alive. He heard someone laughing with a crazed joy, and realized it was himself. As the flames began to recede he stared at the place they'd been. The void was draining now, and he sagged a bit, trying to salvage what euphoria he could, trying to keep the emptiness from returning again. He didn't want to lose that feeling. For a moment, he'd been whole.

The flagstones were cool when he sank down to meet them; he was vaguely surprised they hadn't retained any heat. But it didn't matter. He was tired, crushingly so, and his legs seemed loath to hold him upright. This was worse than when the kid hit him on the back of the head. "What's going on?" he whispered, knowing there was nobody there to hear him.

"You've got a special talent, that's what," said a cool voice from everywhere and nowhere.

Axel jumped, spinning to face the source of the voice: a tall, deep-chested man in a hooded, black robe. The hood concealed the man's face, the fading sunlight making the silver chain around his neck glitter.

"Who are you?" demanded Axel, but even as he asked the question he felt a prickling in his chest. The man struck some sort of resounding chord deep inside him. They were the same.

"I am someone who can help you, Axel," came the reply.

"Oh really. And why is that? And how do you know my name?" He felt faintly cheated that this man could summon facts about him so effortlessly, facts he had to work to produce, like his name. Axel tried to keep up his mask of disaffected indifference, of sullen anger, but he already knew he would listen to anything this man had to say.

And somehow, the man knew, as well. "So many questions. This is neither the time nor the place to discuss such things." His voice was smooth and bottomless, commanding attention and obedience. Axel at once found himself being drawn to the sound and resenting it. "If you wish to find out who you really are and more about that fiery talent of yours, I will be waiting." The man motioned with his hand and a portal of darkness appeared behind him. "I can teach you everything you need and want to know."

There came a long moment then, a face off, where the two men stood in silent contemplation. Clearly, Axel was expected to follow into the portal, but he wasn't so sure he trusted this man with his black coat and his fine words. Though he wanted to. Very much._ No one ever offers things without wanting something in return. _"And what do I have to do in return?"

The man chuckled, a dry and scathing noise, which only made Axel feel more confused and ill at ease. "Simply…exist."

Once again, he felt his temper flaring at this man's deliberate evasiveness. The void gaped inside of him, aching to be filled again.

"What are you talking about? Tell me!"

"I will return in one day. Until then, think about what I offer you. Knowledge, power, abilities far beyond anything you could ever dream of…control of your talent…it's more than anybody could ask for. Especially a Nobody like you." The man tilted his head; in the slanting sunlight Axel caught sight of a chilling, predatory smile. And then the portal flared and he was gone.

"Hey!" he yelled, lunging forward to where the man had been moments before, but there was no one there to hear him, and he stumbled to the ground. His anger was there in an instant, bubbling just beneath the surface, ready to be used, but he pushed it aside.

What was the point? He resented being toyed with and watched, and he damn well wasn't going to be goaded into displaying his "talent", as the man had called it, just for the sake of a little amusing show. He was sure the man was still watching, somehow. From the shadows, he could almost feel the eyes…

"I'm not a nobody," he hissed vehemently into the darkness, climbing to his feet and dusting himself off. But even as he said it, he wondered who he was trying so hard to convince: everyone else, or himself.

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**And so you have the beginning of Axel's story. Jump aboard mates! We've got quite the story to come :D **

**I would love to know your thoughts about this chapter.**

**Who do you think the person is at the end? (winks) **

**I do hope that this lives up to any expectations and I hope you enjoyed it! (crosses fingers) Next chapter involves some very familiar names of certain Organization members :D  
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**Thanks for reading! **


	2. The Organization

**Disclaimer:**** Nothing is mine...wish it was (Axel), but it isn't**

**A/N: Thank you so very much for all of your reviews! They definitely mean a lot and I'm glad you are all enjoying this :D I wasn't quite sure if I could get the knack of this and hopefully I don't disappoint :D**

**Enjoy! See if you can't guess who the mystery Organization XIII member is :D**

**Also, a thought...I'm debating whether or not to show multiple POVs, so that you see what's happening in the Organization too...etc, what do you think? **

**As always, your reviews, comments, suggestions, thoughts, fav parts/characters are extremely welcomed and very much appreciated! **

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**The Organization**

He didn't know which was worse: seeing people together everywhere, seeing their contented happiness, or the constant confusion that hung over him like a fog. The hooded man's words kept coming back to him. **_More than anybody could ask for. Especially a Nobody like you._** _I'm not nobody,_ thought Axel venomently, his hands clenching into fists as he looked out over the moonlit ocean. He still couldn't fathom what the man meant, but the words stung him in a way he could neither understand nor explain. He could feel the familiar sense of power bubbling, contained now at a dull simmer, deep and far away. He had the brief image of coals just before a fanning, and he shuddered and turned his thoughts away. The presence was intoxicating, to be sure, but now he had calmed a bit and the thought of what he'd done, of what he might be capable of doing, scared him deeply.

Something wet hitting his face startled him out of his reverie, and he looked up at the starry night sky. Dark rain clouds passed over the moon, briefly blanketing the town and ocean in shadow. The darkness was soothing, comforting…it was his friend. He let a small smile flicker across his lips as he reveled in what the dark gave to him. Between the clouds, Axel could see bright stars twinkling in and out of focus; as he watched, every so often one would flare briefly and wink out. The first time, he wondered if he was imagining the disappearing stars, if perhaps he was losing them behind a wisp of mist. He waited, searching the skies, watching for them to return. They never did.

Axel frowned. _Could what that kid said really be happening? Can worlds just…disappear? _He tried to convince himself that even if they could, it didn't concern him. He had enough to handle on his own. _Still, though,_ he wondered.

Another drop hit his face, and another, and another. Large, pelting drops began to fall; he felt them in his hair, on his arms, pooling into puddles in his outstretched palms. Rain. It made a steady rhythm on the wooden deck behind him, quickly and efficiently soaking the sand. Axel stood and ran, ducking between two of the boardwalk's many wooden pillars, searching for a suitably dry place to sit. The bottom of the deck was a good eight feet over the sand so at least he didn't have to worry about banging his head on it. That was something he had discovered all too quickly in this town. Everywhere he went, everything seemed much shorter, but then again, perhaps that was just because he was very tall.

He looked out into the night, watching as the rain fell onto the beach and the ocean. White foam glittered in the moonlight as the waves crashed against the shoreline. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath of the salty sea air, allowing the sound of thunder and wind and the rain above his head to drown out everything else. Somewhere out over the sea the water rustled; as he sat, lulled by the musical sounds, he almost fancied he could hear voices. A whisper, and a sigh…

**_Race you to the beach! Come on, you're so slow!_ ** Axel's eyes flew open and he looked around, almost expecting to see someone ahead of him, running toward the docks. The voice sounded so…familiar, and real, yet in that strange way one remembers a conversation from long ago, the sound had been faded and aged with time. Memories. The faster he tried to grab them, the quicker they slipped away into nothingness, leaving him wondering if he'd even really remembered anything at all. Sunlight. Sandy beaches. Laughter. Black.

"What's happening to me?" he whispered, putting his hands up to his head, shutting his eyes tightly. The fury that lay bottled up inside him pushed at his insides, begging to be used. The man's words reverberated once again in his head -- answers he'd never get on his own, with that mocking smile and deep, piercing stare.

Letting out a cry of frustration, Axel slammed his hands down onto the crate that he sat upon. The dry, much moldered wood ignited and fire quickly spread beneath the dock to the brush and dead marsh grass untouched by rain. Axel stumbled out from beneath the deck into the deluge, watching as the fire spread where it could; emotionless, he could only stare as the flames licked futilely at the underbelly of the deck. He empathized with the heat and the blaze, struggling so hard to break free, only to be beaten back and eventually snuffed out by the wind and the water. The strip beneath the deck smoldered, a blackened and foul-smelling gash beneath the light of the moon. The sight moved him little. In fact, he felt nothing at all.

His clothes were now soaked and the rain didn't seem to be letting up. He shivered, suddenly regretting his burst of passion, if only because now he had nowhere dry to escape the torrent. Lights shone down from the town above; he wondered if anyone would take him in. He didn't really feel like asking.

Deep laughter caused him to spin, but the beach was empty. Once again he began to feel toyed with, played with; he considered turning to run but he didn't want to be seen as a coward. Besides, they'd probably follow him, anyway.

"Who's there!" he yelled, to no reply. His body shook with a frustration he didn't acknowledge. He despised being the amusement of someone he couldn't even see. He turned and began to walk, his footsteps silent as they sank deep into the sand. The laughter followed; he shut his eyes now, and began to run. He ran until he entered town, his shoes slapping the wet pavement in a steady drum. He supposed, in some far-away and rational part of his mind, that he should be afraid of these men, a deep heart-pounding, adrenaline-rush of a fear. He continued to run, trying to ignore the fact that this and all other feelings were absent, reassuring himself he was normal with each slap of foot against pavement. Finally, he came to a dead end and sagged against the wall, breathing hard, his head throbbing. The rain continued to fall, running down his face in tiny tickling rivulets. Placing one hand on the cold, damp brick, Axel closed his eyes and just stood there, his shoulders slumped forward. _I'm not…nobody…_ "I'm not…" he whispered.

"Well, well, well, boys. Lookie what I found," sneered an all-too-familiar voice. Axel fancied he could hear a tremor of fear, hidden behind the bravado. He opened his eyes.

Johnny and his gang stood a few feet away, but instead of bats they now carried wicked-looking metal pipes. Axel remained motionless, breathing hard and no longer caring they were watching him like little furless hyenas would watch a dying animal. After today, his energy was spent, his anger dissipated and replaced only with weariness. The presence of the little gang was only the cherry atop the icing of one layered and increasingly bitter cake that had started with him waking up in the middle of the road this morning. He didn't even give them the satisfaction of a reply, instead choosing to rest his head against the cool brick of the wall. He hated this town, and in a brief instant, he wished for the darkness behind his eyelids to be real, and the world around him to be only the fleeting afterimage of shadow and light…

He felt, rather than saw, the rush of air and chill as the wall he was leaning on became inky darkness. He almost fancied he knew how it had been done, too, how the man who appeared caused the portal to come into existence, and how he dismissed it once again. As he stood there, listening to the boys inhale sharply, he almost thought he could do it himself…as though, having heard a strange strain of music, he could now sit down and replay it with perfect clarity. Axel opened his eyes.

Axel could tell this was not the same man from before: he was shorter, though they were dressed much alike. Exactly alike, actually. Axel supposed he should be irritated, but the emotion remained curiously absent. In his wake, he felt only resigned, weary amusement.

"Who are you?" demanded Johnny as he and the other boys came to a halt in front of the stranger.

"You better leave before Johnny kicks your ass," smirked the boy on Johnny's right.

"As if! I'm not just any old dude and I don't think you brainless punks really want to mess with me," came a deep voice. Axel could almost see the smirk on the man's face.

"I'll show you brainless," growled one of the boys, the one Axel especially disliked. The boy leapt at the hooded man. All Axel saw was a flash of light and then the boy was howling, his hand gripping his shoulder, his pipe forgotten on the ground.

"He – he _shot_ me!" cried the boy, staring at the hooded man.

"Man oh man, aren't you observant," said the man with a low chuckle.

_Who _is_ this guy?_ thought Axel in shock and confusion. Opposite him, the man chuckled and hoisted a gun unlike anything Axel had ever seen. It looked to be some sort of rifle, with dark spikes in a circular pattern around the handle. But then again, he thought with a small bit of silent sarcasm, he could have seen it before and just not remembered. Such things were, of course, the story of his life.

"Not that I'd mind whipping your asses right now, but I've got places to be, people to see…you know how it works," smirked the man. "You dudes aren't even worth my time. So..." He hefted the gun again, aiming the barrel at the trio with a horribly threatening smile. "Scram."

Axel didn't know kids so tubby could run so fast, but run they did, dropping their pipes as though they burned. The man chuckled and waved a hand at their backs, like he was bidding them a cheery good day. His gun dissipated into dark, smoky tendrils, and then was gone altogether.

"Who are you?" asked Axel, straightening.

"So that's the thanks I get for saving your hide," said the man, turning to face Axel. "Distrust and rudeness? Tsk."

"I could have handled those punks," replied Axel, stung.

The man laughed. "As if! Though it would have amused me to see you get your ass kicked, the Superior probably wouldn't be too pleased. Was that fright I detected earlier? Oh wait…I forgot, Nobodies can't feel fear."

The words oozed insincerity. Axel felt his eyes narrow. "This coming from someone who won't even show his face. And I am NOT a nobody!" snapped Axel.

The man chuckled again. "Everybody's a nobody, kid. Some of us are just more so than others." His laugh was dry, grating, and he gave Axel a saluting wave. "See you soon." And then, in a trademarked unexpected burst that was becoming more and more expected by the moment, the man disappeared into thin air, leaving Axel wide-eyed and furious.

"If I ever find out who you guys are, I'm burning your house down," he muttered bitterly to the now-blank-again wall. Then for good measure he kicked the wall hard, after which he immediately gritted his teeth in pain, muttered several colorful curse words he hadn't known he knew, and limped away.

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He'd slept in a dumpster behind a fruit market, partially because it had been empty and hidden, and partially because it was easy to swipe old fruit from the counters behind the stand when the owner wasn't looking. He sat in the shadows of the building all morning and most of the afternoon, crunching his liberated apples and pears and wondering where he should go next, and what he would do if these men in black coats proved to be more insistent than they already had. As he sat contemplating his meager options, he became aware of the hairs on the back of his neck prickling, and he instinctively knew someone was nearby.

He wasn't in the mood. Not today. "Whoever you are, come out," said Axel, turning to face the darkened part of the alley.

"Aw man, blew that one," muttered someone.

Axel arched an eyebrow as a teenage boy stepped out from the darkness. He was a good head shorter than Axel, his blond hair spiked into some sort of combination of a mohawk and a mullet. He looked like one of those punk rock stars, except years younger and yards more cheerful. However, the thing that really caught Axel's attention was the way the boy presented himself. He wore the same hooded black robe like the other two, except his hood was down around his shoulders, and he wore an honest, open smile.

"So are _you _gonna tell me who you are?" As soon as he said it, Axel wished he'd been less harsh; the boy winced and held up his hands in an apologetic fashion.

"Whoa there buddy, don't get all Saix on me," he said, sounding chastised. "Meant no harm. Curiosity killed the cat, you know? Wanted to see the new kid." He grinned at Axel openly. Then, all of the sudden, he seemed to realize his upper body was exposed, and put his hands up to his head with a little moan. "Man! Xemnas is going to _kill_ me!" he muttered. "I don't believe this. Good one Demyx, screwing up your first mission already. Can't even stick to the darkness like you're supposed to." He groaned. "I'm so dead."

Axel's eyebrows rose as he watched the boy mutter to himself. _What's with this kid? _Though Axel really didn't feel like dealing with a psychotic kid right now, he wanted answers about the hooded man and if this kid was in the same group as him…well, it didn't look like Axel had much of a choice.

He walked over behind the boy and hit him over the head. "Talk some sense, will you? Who are you?"

"Hey!" the boy protested, a hand flying to his head as he spun to face Axel. "Don't do that!"

"Maybe if you stopped talking to yourself and made some sense, I wouldn't have to do that."

The boy sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. "Everyone always picks on me," he muttered. "Just because I'm one of the newbies." The boy looked up at Axel and tilted his head. "Man, you're really tall! Kinda like Saix, except he's a lot scarier with that claymore of his, especially when he goes into berserk mode."

"Who_ are_ you!" demanded Axel, getting frustrated. Flames flew up around them and the boy's eyes widened.

"Whoa! Fire! Cool!" The boy grinned at Axel. "I heard that you could play with fire – gotta have something to do with that red hair of yours – which is awesome –"

"Will you just _shut up!_ Tell me your name." The flames grew larger and drew closer to the boy.

The boy suddenly seemed to realize that annoying Axel might not be such a good thing. "Chill, fire guy –"

"The name's _Axel_. Got it memorized?" said Axel, scowling as he crossed his arms over his chest, the flames dying back down.

"Sure thing, Axel. I'm Demyx."

"What do you want, Demyx?"

"Just checking the new guy out."

"New guy?" asked Axel in confusion, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah, didn't Xemnas talk to you about coming to join us?"

"Who? What?"

Demyx's eyes widened. "Oops…guess you didn't know."

"Didn't know what!"

Demyx winced. "I'm really not supposed to say anything." He glanced around and then looked back at Axel. "I – uh – I better go. If Zexion or Saix or anyone finds me talking to you…I'm dead!" A portal of darkness appeared behind Demyx and Axel recognized it as the same one that the hooded man had used.

"Oh no you don't!" Axel lunged and, being taller and having a longer reach, managed to grasp the front of Demyx's robes, hauling the boy to him. "Who are these guys? Who's Xemnas? Join what?"

"Aw man," muttered Demyx as he wiggled around, trying to free himself from Axel's grip. However, he was failing miserably. Finally, Demyx sighed. "Look, Xemnas is Superior. He's our leader. The leader of Organization XIII. All I know is that I overheard Vexen and Xigbar talking about some new guy Xemnas was going to talk to, to join the Organization."

"What is this Organization?"  
"Don't you know?" asked Demyx, arching an eyebrow.

"How the _hell_ would I know!" snapped Axel, tightening his grip on Demyx's robe.

Demyx winced. "Okay, okay, sorry," he gasped. He pointed at Axel's grip. "Can't breathe."

Axel loosened his hold slightly but didn't let go of Demyx. He had just about had it with people disappearing into dark portals and being cryptic. He wanted answers.

"Organization XIII…well.. VIII right now…but eventually XIII, that's what Xemnas said. For Nobodies like us, ones with brains. Not like the Berserkers or Snipers or those crazy Assassins."

"I'm not nobody!" snapped Axel. "If I was nobody, how the hell do you explain me standing right here, talking to you?"

"More like torturing," muttered Demyx and Axel's grip tightened. "Okay! Sorry!" Demyx choked out and Axel released him. _Now I'm even more confused,_ thought Axel. "Nobodies. That's what we are. I don't know exactly how it works, don't really care. We've all got specific talents." Demyx grinned. "I'm a musician. Got a sitar and everything."

Axel just stared at Demyx, confused and annoyed.

"Demyx!" said a voice sharply and Demyx winced.

"Great, just great," muttered Demyx. "Zexy found me."

"_What_ did I say about calling me Zexy?" snapped the voice.

"Not to do it."

"Exactly."

Axel looked around for the source and found it: a younger man with chin-length, layered, spiky, grey-blue hair. He wore the same black robe that Demyx wore and while the man was still at least a foot shorter than him, Axel could tell that this person had a dark aura of power to him. Intimidating to those such as Demyx, though, as Axel glanced at the younger boy with a frown, he didn't think that'd be too hard. Axel turned his attention back to the newcomer. _Another member of this…Organization? _

"And you are?" asked Axel, arching an eyebrow.

The man glanced at Axel before looking back at Demyx. "Get back to the castle. _Now._"

Demyx gave 'Zexy' a two-fingered salute. "Aye, aye, Zexy." The man's scowl deepened dangerously and Demyx grinned. Glancing at Axel and giving him a thumbs-up, Demyx disappeared in a swirl of darkness.

The man turned, creating another portal of darkness, and walked towards it.

"Hey, wait!" called Axel

The man stopped, turning to look at him. "Demyx will be dealt with accordingly," he said coolly. "We'll be in contact." Then the man turned back, disappearing into his portal of darkness.

"Wait!" Axel ran towards the portal but it disappeared before he could reach it, leaving him even more confused and annoyed than before. _What's going on?_

_

* * *

_

**Thanks for reading! **

**What did you think? **

**We got a little taste of certain members :D, prequeling of course to when we finally meet all the members. Remember not all the members were recruited at the same time, only the initial apprentices. So this story will show how the last members are recruited (Luxord, Marluxia, Larxene and Roxas **)

**Also, as a note. I know that Axel is number VIII and Demyx is number IX, but I really did want Demyx in here, since I thought it fitted better than the other Organization members (that are in the Organization currently that is). So...I will fudge it :D somehow.**

**I'm going to try really hard to keep everything to canon and what we know with the Organization :) (crosses fingers)**

**Who do you think the Organization XIII member was that saved Axel? ;) **


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